Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-03-13
THE NEXT CONGRESS.
Democrats VIII he In Better Position In
Both Houses.

Democrats VIII he In Better Position In
Both Houses.
WASHINGTON, March IA good deal
is said about the character of the next Con-
gress, and much OF it is prophecy that the
Democrats, who come in with diminished
majority, will cut poor figure.
But, as a matter of fact, the Democrats
will stand better in the next Congress than
they did in this. In the Senate they will |
have q larger vote and the Democratic gains !
in the Senate are considered TO be evidence |
that the party is getting stronger in the
country. Before the war every Republican
gain in the Senate was held to be proof
that that party was steadily advancing.
In the House the Democrats will have |
only fifteen majority, but they lose several |
men who were a constant disadvantage to |
them, however excellent they may be as
men and as Democrats. These losses make |
agreement upon policy and party unity
much easier IN the next Congress than in |
the last, where it was impossible. Mr.. |
Morrison, Mr.. Hewitt, Mr.. Warner and |
several others, all good men, are yet
kind Of men not useful to al prrty which |
ought & move ahead. The party in Con-
yress will be stronger for their absence.
Everybody takes it for granted that Mr..
Carlisle will be the Speaker Of the new
House. There is some talk of having the |
committees selected, as they are in the |
Senate, by caucus of each party fixing
upon its membership of each committee.
1t is doubtful, however, whether this will
be agreed upon. A Democratic Congress |
man said on this matter to your corre- |
spOndent:-
81 don't think it would be wise change
The Speaker always knows the men better
than q caucus would know them, and he
can frame the committees, in my belief,
more satisfactorily than caucus Of each
party would do it,"
"Who, do you suppose, will take Mr..
Morrison's place rs Chairman of the Ways
and Means"
81 don't know. Mills, of Texas, stands |
second in the committee, and is 4 capable
man. But if were Speaker I'd put Mr.. |
dali is tired of working outside of the
party. He sees what everybody sees, that
he has come TO occupy ridiculous posi-
ton with his small following, unable to
accomplish anything positive and reduced
to the alternative-a very bad thing for a
political leader-Of simply preventing any
thing being done So long as Morrison |
remained in the House this was perhaps |
inevitable The two men could not agree
on anything. 1t is the fashion to abuse
Randall as a marplot, but really Mr. Nor
risOn has not accomplished anything as
the leader of the House either. There are
some signs that Randall sees the awk
wardness of his position. He is drifting
over into the Republican party, which
does not want him, and where he would |
play a very humble part. He cannot 90
on another session playing off horse in the
Democratic party without an utter and
ridiculous failure for himself"
"Would he take the craftsmanship of the
Ways and Means?'
81 don't know; but / guess he would. |
In that position he would be able to pre-
pare and introduce tariff bill, which he |
wants to do. His efforts in this direction |
at the last two sessions were absurd, and
have no doubt he secs that himself The
chairman of Appropriations, as the com
mittees are now arranged, has nothing to
do with revenue measures, and Randall
coming in with tariff or other revenue bill
had naturally the i'll will Of the Ways and
Means committee, who saw him ploughing
in their corn field"
"WOuld Mr.. Randall prepare tariff
bill?"
"If he were chairman of the Ways and
Means it would ne his duty, with the help
of his committee, TO prepare revenue meas |
ures for the House. There is "A large re-
dundant revenue which ought TO he Topped
of. That will he the most important and
most urgent work OF the next Congress
The Ways and Means Committee will not
be able to avoid it; and have no doubt
that Mr.. Randall would take hold of that
question with vigor. Whether his plan |
would get the approval of the committee
or of the House is not important. Some |
thing has got to I've done as soon as Congress
assemblies, because long before then, unless
the President calls spring session. the
surplus revenue will he piling up i'll the
Treasury at the rate of s., 600, 600 or |
So, GOO 600, and perhaps more, per month,
and the business of the country will go to |
smash by reason of this contraction and |
squeeze. For my part believe 1t will be
easy to get Randall to work in the traces,
and it ought TO be done. 1t can't he done
by beating him over the head, hut he can
be a useful aud important man if he is
put where he ought to be. He has learned |
something in this last Congress. He has
learned, for instance, that he can't touch |
the tariff anywhere, no matter how GIN
gerly, without aIOusing the fury OF the
whole protectiOnist gang. | suppose the
scheme to gerrymander him out of Con-
grcss. which is now going on at Harris
burg, is inspired by the steel rail ring,
because he dared to propose in his tariff
to cut down the duty on steel rails. lie
wanted TO put wool on the free
list, but that again brought down the Ohio |
protectionists on him and they ran him
of. As q ma ter of fact, he was never aDle |
to get his own followers in this Congress to
agree with him upon tariff changes. lie
had to submit to their bullying, and that
was not pleasant for n man like Randall. |
He was in tOlerably wretched position |
with those people, because he couldn't
stand alone, and to get them to stand with
him, few as they were, he had to make con-
cessions very much against his will and
against his general plan. Put him at the
head of the Ways and Means and | believe
he will do good work, and as leader OF the
House he would keep the party acting to-
gether. That's all I've got to say on the
matter, except this-that we can't afford |
to repeat in the next Congress the quarrels |
,pb;cb III vi1.J us in this one ~
BENwOOD.